Mag Drug Magic Shop was a quaint little store at the heart of the city. It had its devoted patrons, some even visiting daily. Today there was an eerie new face, however. The old, well-traveled shopkeeper barely raised a brow at the ghastly woman standing before him. “You’re the mage I hired, right? Good, your timing is excellent.” He grabbed his backpack and gestured at the various shelves lining the cozy shop. “Your job is to keep an eye on my wares and help customers. Don’t worry, everything is clearly labeled.” His gaze narrowed and his smile vanished. “And whatever you do... Don’t leave your post or go into the backroom. Got it?” When the silent assistant nodded, his smile returned.

“Good. I’ll be back by midnight.”

Meanwhile, a shady bunch had gathered by the corner of the shop. Three lanky teenagers sporting wild hairdos and rebellious leather clothing were ruining their lungs with cheap cigarettes. As the old shop owner closed the door behind him and vanished down the road, one of them nudged his buddies. “See, just like I told you. The old guy’s left for the night.” His yellow teeth twisted into a malicious grin. “That means some chump is watching the shop now. Easy money.” Laughing in raspy unison, they dumped the cancer sticks and marched into the store.

The bell above the door jingled as the teens stepped inside. Much to their surprise, however, the whole place seemed empty. Nobody at the counter. Of course suspicions flared first. However, the leader of the cocky group was quick to pass his buddies a devious whisper. “Heh, the chump probably went into the backroom. Oh, this is just too easy...” He motioned towards the shelves. “Quick, grab anything pricey before the chump gets back.” Without wasting a moment, the juvenile shoplifters went to work. Potions and drugs were the easy target. You could sell them without anybody asking too many questions. A bottle from here, another there, little by little the goods vanished into their pockets.

Mary peeked carefully from beneath the counter. The bell had startled her, so she had kind of... gone into hiding. Ah... These boys were customers, yes? Slowly, silently she straightened her back and put on her best customer service smile. One of the teens happened to glance her way. Their eyes met. After an awkward pause, he glanced at his friend with a hushed whisper. “D-do you see that...?” But when the friend turned his head towards the counter... “Huh? See what?” No one was there. Shivers started trailing down the boy’s spine. “There was someone creepy there just now...” He was sure of it.

Meanwhile, Mary’s jaw dropped in shock. C-c-c-creepy...? Sure, she had panicked and dropped back into the safety of her little hiding spot, but... It still cut deep. Gathering her courage, she popped back out and faced the conversing boys. “Eh, you’re just ima...gining...” He trailed off when he too saw a grinning specter staring right at him. Slowly, step by step, the two boys retreated towards their leader. Quickly they turned to nudge him with a hushed whisper. “Dude, we gotta go. There’s something here.” With an annoyed groan, the leader glanced at his goons. “Tch, what’s the big idea? Are you scared of some dumb shopkeeper?” Even if they had gotten caught, he didn’t care.

However, a grim shadow covered the crouching group. A haunting voice sent chills down their spine. “Everything has a price...” Slowly the trio turned to face the voice. Up close, every ominous detail burned into their eyes. The manic grin, the creepy stare and the deathly pale skin. Their stolen goods clattered onto the floor. Her voice scratched at the edges of their sanity. “Are you ready to pay? For all that you have taken...?” A loud and rather unmanly scream shook the store. The door flew open and the teens ran out.

As the clock struck midnight, the bell above the door jingled softly once more. The shopkeeper arrived with a warm smile on his features. His mood only improved when he saw his shop in the same condition he had left it. No, perhaps even better. The floor had definitely been swept recently. “So, made any sales?” Mary’s head drooped. Her lips trembled. Glimmering pearls formed in the corners of her eyes. The old shopkeeper was taken aback.  “A-are you crying...? Look, it’s okay. Some days are just more peaceful than others.” A poor choice of words. The floodgates opened. Not even the payment and a reassuring pat on the back could console the ghastly woman. Well... Um... Even if it felt like a bitter failure, she had still succeeded in her task.

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